A Simple Kiss
by alinaandalion
Summary: What would happen if Debra and Robert kissed? Set a little bit after the series finale.
1. The First Kiss

"Why does your mother have to come on the same weekend that I made plans with the guys to go on the best golf retreat in my life?" Ray yelled.

"Because she is my mother and your children's grandmother and she wants to spend time with us before she goes on her trip!" Debra screamed back at him, her face red with fury.

"Well, then, maybe she should start acting like a normal grandma and bake cookies instead of traveling the world!" Ray replied.

"Oh, so she should act like your mother and barge into our house every day and interfere with every aspect of our lives?" Debra asked angrily, narrowing her eyes.

"At least my mother is involved in her grandkids' lives!" Ray retorted furiously.

"So my mother should be involved in our lives like your mother. I guess that means that she should redo all the laundry and clean the house after I have done it. And then maybe she insult you like your mother does me about your hair, your clothes, and the way you raise your children!" Debra said sarcastically.

"Well, my mother wouldn't have to do those things if you could do your job right in the first place!" he replied.

Debra took a step back, her mind spinning at what her husband had just said. She could feel tears of hurt welling up behind her eyes, but she forced them back as she yelled, "Get out! Just get out!"

Ray looked at her and walked quickly out the door, slamming it behind him. As the sound reverberated in her ears, Debra allowed a tear to slip out the corner of her eye as she turned back to the kitchen sink to finish washing the dishes she had started before she had started fighting with Ray. Her shoulders shook slightly as silent tears fell into the soapy water.

The door opened again, and she quickly wiped her eyes as Robert entered the kitchen, "Hey, Deb. Amy sent me over with a book she borrowed from you since I was going to watch the game with Ray. Do you know where he is?"

"I don't know where he is right now, Robert. Do you want to wait for him here?" Debra asked.

"Sure," he replied, heading to the living room. He looked back at Debra and frowned slightly, "Deb, are you upset about something?"

She shook her head, "No, Robert, I'm fine."

He walked over to her, gently turning her away from the sink, "What happened?"

She sighed, fresh tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "Ray and I had a really big fight over my mother because she's coming to stay with us on the same weekend he was supposed to go on a big golf retreat with the guys. I don't know. Just, some of the things he said really hurt my feelings."

A soft sob escaped her mouth as she finished, and Robert gently folded her into his arms, "It's okay, Deb. I'm here for you."

She just buried her head into his shoulder in acknowledgement of his words, sobbing quietly. He just held her a little tighter and laid a gentle kiss in her silky hair, the scent of her shampoo tickling his nose.

A few minutes later, she lifted her head from his shoulder, "Thank you, Robert."

He looked down into her shimmering brown eyes and felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized exactly how close he was to her. Her smooth lips were parted slightly in a smile, awakening feelings within him he had thought were long dead. In a split second, he crossed the boundaries that had kept him from her. As his lips met hers, he was overcome by a feeling he had never felt before, something that arose from the very core of his being. She struggled hesitantly against him for a moment, but his gentle hold and his lips on hers forced her to surrender. Every inch of his body screamed at him to let her go, but he ignored his instincts as he felt her respond slightly to his kiss. The moment ended all too soon, though, when she pushed him away, trembling.

"Robert, I…" her voice trailed off, her mind unable to comprehend her whirling thoughts and feelings.

Robert took a step towards her, but as he began to realize what exactly had transpired between the two of them, he stopped. His hands shook slightly as he thought about the repercussions of what he had just done.

"I'm sorry, Debra," he whispered before walking out the door.

Stunned, Debra just stared at the kitchen door before sliding down the side of the counter to the floor.


	2. A Deliberate Mistake

_Perfectly balanced/And then I start making/Conscious, deliberate mistakes- _**"Nobody Needs to Know"-** **The Last Five Years**

The next morning, Robert stalked into the precinct and collapsed into his chair.

Judy wandered over to him, carrying a cup of coffee, "Bad night?"

He ran his hands through his hair, "Couldn't sleep."

She sat down in her desk, "Want to tell me about it?"

He shook his head, "No."

"Come on. I'm your partner. You can tell me," she pleaded.

Robert sighed, "Okay. Yesterday, I kissed Debra."

"Debra, as in your sister-in-law Debra?"

He nodded his head and she sat back in her chair, shocked, "Wow. Does Amy know?"

"No," Robert replied tersely. "I don't know how to tell her. I mean, I love Amy, but I don't know."

"You're in love with Debra, too, aren't you?" Judy asked softly as the realization hit her.

Robert just stared down at his desk. Sighing quietly, she tried to think of something that could help him, but her brain refused to work.

"I'm sorry, Robert," she told him softly, her brown eyes full of compassion. "But, I don't think I can help you."

He smiled bitterly, "It's fine, Judy. I'll figure it out."

She opened a file and began to work, but Robert just sat in his chair, staring at the paperwork in front of him. He knew he had made the biggest mistake of his life, but he didn't regret it. In fact, he only wanted to kiss Debra again. Frustrated by his stupidity and inability to stop thinking about his sister-in-law, he stormed out of the precinct.

In the privacy of an empty house, Debra paced back and forth, "I don't know why he kissed me. It just sort of happened. I don't know why I'm so confused about this whole thing anyway. I'm in love with Ray. I don't even have those kinds of feelings for Robert. I never have. Or maybe I do."

She cried out in frustration and sank down onto the couch, rubbing her temples. She looked up as the door opened and Robert walked into the house.

Standing quickly, she said quietly, "Hey, Robert."

He strode over to her quickly, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. She looked up into his eyes, her breath catching in her throat from the terrible stirring she felt within her chest. With a sudden movement, he pulled her into him and kissed her. Rather than pulling away, she moved even closer and snaked her arms around his neck as her mind rebelled. She allowed him even deeper into her mouth, the thrill of his tongue meeting hers causing her to hesitate slightly before responding to him. His hands traveled from her shoulders to her waist, itching to move further down, but he fought his urges. She finally managed to make herself pull away to keep from going any further. His hand gently stroked her cheek as she tried to stop her senses from whirling and allow her to think logically.

She could only manage to utter one word, "Shit."


	3. The Point of No Return

_Past the point of no return/ No going back now/ That bridge is crossed/So stand and watch it burn-_ **"The Point of No Return"- The Phantom of the Opera**

Pushing Robert away, Debra collapsed back onto the couch. Robert knelt down in front of her, gently kissing her trembling hands. As she bowed her head, her eyes fell on the wedding band on her finger. She closed her eyes in shame of her betrayal and tried to figure out what she wanted, what she needed. The firm pressure of Robert's strong hands made her look down and into his eyes; she could see his desire. Still, she hesitated, tottering on the brink of plunging headfirst into either a dream or a nightmare.

"Debra?" Robert whispered, reaching up to stroke her auburn hair.

She shook her head, "I can't, Robert. We can't."

His hand stopped, confusion spreading on his face, "But, I don't understand…"

"I don't either," she replied. "But, I've spent the last seventeen years of my life with Ray. I love him, Robert, and I know you love Amy. I just, I don't know, Robert. I'm so confused."

Standing up, he turned away from her.

"I'm so sorry, Robert," she said quietly.

He turned back around and pulled her to her feet.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, running a finger through his dark hair.

She sighed softly, "You need to talk to Amy. And I'm going to explain everything to Ray."

He nodded his head, "I guess that's the only option we really have."

Squeezing her shoulders gently, he smiled reassuringly down at her; her lips trembled slightly as she tried to smile back, and she ducked her head quickly to keep him from noticing.

"Deb, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, Robert, I'm so scared of what's going to happen next. I really fucked up this time, and I don't know if Ray will ever forgive me," she sobbed.

"Everything will work out, Deb. I guess…, I'll see you around," he replied, giving her a quick, awkward hug before he walked out the door.

Shaking her head in frustration, Debra sank down on to the floor, pulling her legs up to her chest as tears ran down her face.

Ray smiled at his wife as he walked into the bedroom, "So, did you have a busy day?"

She looked up from the book she was reading, "Not really. You're home late. Did something happen at work?"

"Nothing bad really happened. We started watching the game before I left and it was the best one I've seen in a long time. I didn't want to leave and miss any of it," he replied, pulling off his watch and pants.

Smiling slightly, she put her book down on the table beside the bed and walked over to their dresser.

Ray frowned, "Deb, is something wrong?"

She shook her head as she put some of her jewelry away, "No, Ray. I'm just tired."

Feeling his arms slide around her waist, she jumped slightly, tense with nervous anticipation and worry.

"You know, we never did make up after our fight," he murmured, his lips brushing her ear and sending a shiver down her spine.

She opened her mouth to tell him to leave her alone but a slight moan escaped instead as his lips gently caressed the back of her neck. Trying to keep from responding to his tender kisses, she turned around to face him.

"Ray," she whispered, uncertainty clouding her brown eyes.

His face fell as he looked down at her, "What is it?"

Opening her mouth to tell him everything, she took a deep breath; yet, something held the words hostage in her throat, refusing to allow them to spill out.

Shaking her head, she smiled and pressed a light kiss against his mouth, "It's nothing, Ray."

Nodding, he pulled her even closer to his body, kissing her fiercely. She ran her fingers through his hair as she escaped into a heady daze of passionate desire. Stumbling backwards, they fell onto the bed together, entangled in a feverish, waking dream.

Sighing, Robert shuffled into the apartment he shared with his wife and dropped his jacket on their loveseat. He wandered into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Amy stirring something in a pot on the stove with a look of intense concentration on her face.

"I knew something smelled good," he said, wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on her cheek.

She smiled brightly, "Hey, honey. This will be ready soon."

He laughed, "I was talking about you."

Blushing slightly, she turned off the stove, "So, did you have a good day?"

"Things were kind of slow. But you must have had a really good day to cook supper this late," he replied.

"Well, Robert, I do have some really good news," she said, taking his hands.

"What?" he asked, grinning at her bubbly excitement.

"I'm pregnant!"


	4. Just For This Moment

_And just for this moment/ As long as you're mine_- **"As Long As You're Mine"- Wicked**

Humming softly, Debra carried a laundry basket into the living room to fold the clean clothes while Ray watched the ballgame.

"How's it going?" she asked, taking a seat on the couch beside him.

He smiled over at her, "Good."

As she folded one of Ray's shirts, the front door flew open, revealing Amy and Robert.

"Hey," Debra said uncertainly, scrutinizing Robert's expression.

A beaming Amy walked into the house while Robert closed the door behind them, "We have something to tell you."

Ray looked up from the game, turning off the television, "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant!" Amy announced.

Taken aback, Debra didn't respond, but she quickly pulled herself together and squealed excitedly with Amy, "Oh my God, when did you find out?"

"Two days ago, but we had to tell my parents and then Marie and Frank before we told you guys," Amy explained, radiating with happiness.

"Wow, congratulations!" Ray said, getting up from the couch and punching Robert's arm lightly. "You finally did it, man!"

Robert smiled, "Yeah, we couldn't be happier."

Taking Robert's hand, Amy grinned, "We have to go shopping, but we just wanted to let you know. I thought that tomorrow night we could really celebrate."

"Oh, sure, that sounds great, Amy," Debra agreed. "Before I forget, Robert, I have something I need to give you. Ray, why don't you take Amy on out to the car so she can be ready to go as soon as Robert gets out there."

"Sure," Ray replied. "Right this way, Amy"

As soon as the door closed behind Ray and Amy, Debra pulled Robert into the kitchen, "We have to tell them, Robert."

He sighed, "I know. Just, not tonight. Tomorrow before the celebration?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah. I'm so sorry. This is going to be even harder now."

"But we have to do this, right?" he said a little uncertainly.

"Yes. I can't lie to them," she replied. "Now, here, take these cookies."

He looked down at the plate she shoved into his hands, puzzled, "Why?"

"I have to give you something, remember? Now, you had better hurry. Amy's waiting on you," Debra explained, pushing him out of the kitchen.

Shifting uncomfortably, Debra looked at the clock beside her bed and groaned softly when she saw the hour displayed in large digits. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Ray sleeping, the darkness of the night surrounding them. She moved slowly over to his side of the bed and gingerly laid her head on his chest, feeling him move in surprise underneath her.

"Deb?" he asked groggily, his hand rubbing at his eyes.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied softly.

"And sleeping on top of me will help?" he said, starting to wake up.

Smiling, she sat up as she caressed his cheek, "I guess not. Go back to sleep."

He shook his head, sitting up as well, "What's bothering you, Deb?"

"Nothing," she whispered, feeling guilty for lying to him.

Frowning, he laid back down and closed his eyes.

Debra sighed softly, a soft question escaping her lips, "Ray, do you love me, no matter what?"

"Of course I do," he answered, sitting back up again. "Why?"

Shaking her head, she leaned towards him and placed a tender kiss on his lips. He pulled her closer to his body, deepening the kiss and earning a soft moan from her. As they moved even nearer to each other, he gently laid her down on the bed, never parting their lips. Entangling her fingers into his hair, she gasped as his lips moved from hers to place kisses down her neck, his hands playing with the bottom of her shirt. At that moment, she pulled away from him, shaking her head.

Ray looked at her in confusion, "What is it?"

She didn't reply, only moving out from under him and pushing him gently onto his back; then, she crashed her lips against his, pulling his shirt over his head. As her teeth nipped his ear, he groaned, his hands fumbling with her shirt as her hands caressed his chest. Closing her eyes, she tried to hold onto every moment until the final explosion when everything came crashing down around her; all too soon, everything had ended and the two of them just laid in the darkness, their bodies tangled together.

Staring up at the ceiling, Robert sighed quietly as he listened to Amy's quiet breathing as she slept peacefully beside him. He looked over at her, smiling softly at the sight of her untroubled face and the hand resting gently on her stomach. As he pushed her hair out of her face, a wave of guilt rushed over him.

Shaking his head, he whispered softly, "I love you, Amy and I never wanted to hurt you, but I did. So, I hope you can manage to forgive me once you know."

She stirred slightly at the sound of his voice, "Robert? Will you hold me?"

A sad smile spread across his lips and he took her into his arms as he waited for the impossibly long night to end.


	5. Torn Apart

_When did the sun stop shining?/ When did we turn into two divided?_-** "Once Upon a Time"- Idina Menzel**

Pacing the floor of his small living room, Robert checked his watch again, "Where is she?"

"Honey, I'm home!" Amy called, walking in with grocery sacks in her hands.

He whirled to face her, avoiding the kiss she attempted to give him, "Amy, we need to talk."

After she closed the door, she looked up at him, "Okay. What is it?"

Fidgeting slightly, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he answered her.

"Something happened a few days ago," he began hesitantly.

She shook her head, making her way to the kitchen, "Robert, I already know that your mother went through our fridge and threw out half of our food. Don't worry about it."

"It's not that, Amy," he sighed. "I guess I should just get this over with. I kissed Debra."

Stopping in her tracks, Amy turned to face him, "What?"

He hurried over to her and gently cupped her face in his hands, "But I still love you, Amy. It's just…"

As she stepped away from him, the groceries slipped from her grip, "No, I don't want to hear it."

"But, Amy," he pleaded, reaching for her.

"No!" she screamed.

He stopped, his arms falling limply to his sides. On his way to the door, he grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. Before he turned the doorknob, he looked back at her, then he walked out. As soon as the door closed behind him, she sat down shakily on the couch, tears streaming down her face.

Smiling softly as she watched Ray typing his column, Debra took a steadying breath and walked over to him.

"Hey," he said, a grin spreading over his face when he saw her.

"Ray, can we talk?" she asked softly.

He nodded as he pushed his chair away from the desk, "Go right ahead."

Sighing, she looked down at the floor, "It's just…well,…I kissed Robert."

A moment passed by slowly as he tried to understand what she had just told him.

Taking a tentative step forward, she continued, "I didn't mean for it to happen, Ray. It didn't mean anything. I still…"

"Don't say that," he snapped as he stood up.

"What?" she stopped walking.

"Don't say that you still love me," he replied, coldly.

"But, Ray, please…" she moved towards him, trying to keep from crying.

"No!" he shouted. "Just shut the hell up! How could you do something like that? How am I supposed to trust you? How am I supposed to know whether or not you slept with him? Was Robert the first one? Or have you fucked Andy and Gianni, too?"

She flinched, "You know that's not true."

"How am I supposed to know whether or not it is anymore?" he asked, his voice cracking under the strain.

She just shook her head as he pushed past her, hurrying up the staircase.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice laced with hollow pain.

"I'm leaving," he answered before he left the basement.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to the empty room, her shoulders shaking with violent sobs.


	6. Attempted Apologies

_And I can't explain what happened/ And I can't erase the things that I've done-_** "Untitled"- Simple Plan**

Humming softly, Marie smiled to herself as she poured her pancake batter on the griddle. As she flipped the pancakes, the door opened and she turned from the stove to see who it was.

She frowned at the sight of Robert, "You shouldn't be here."

"Listen, Ma, I need to talk to you," Robert tried to start, but she cut him off.

"You know your brother is staying here and it would not be a good idea for him to see you after everything that has happened," she replied, taking the finished pancakes off the griddle.

Sighing, Robert started to leave, but she called him back, "Here, you can have these pancakes."

He smiled and took the plate from her, "Thanks, Ma. How have things been lately?"

"Horrible. Raymond has been moping around here when he's not at work and the children are taking this kind of badly. Have you heard from Amy?" she asked hopefully.

Robert put down his fork softly, shaking his head, "I've tried calling her. She has a doctor's appointment in a few weeks and I wanted to be there, but now, I don't know."

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Robert. Just wait and see," Marie tried to comfort him.

"Yeah right."

Robert looked up to see Ray standing in the kitchen doorway, "Uh, hey."

"How could you do that to me, man? I thought we were brothers. I trusted you," Ray said heatedly.

"I'm sorry, Ray, it was a mistake," Robert said quietly, getting up from his chair.

"Like you're really sorry. You totally screwed up my entire life because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. She was my wife!" Ray yelled, lunging at Robert.

Robert held his brother away from him, trying to keep calm, "She's not your property, Ray. And I'm sorry that I kissed her. But I didn't screw up your life. I didn't make you walk out on her."

"You're wrong! You're not sorry because you always wanted her! I saw the way you looked at her even after you got Amy. And you just couldn't stand the fact that she was mine and would never be yours!" Ray cried as he punched Robert's jaw.

Losing all self-control, Robert launched himself on top of Ray and they rolled around on the floor, each punching and kicking the other.

"Stop it!" Marie yelled, trying to get them to separate. "You're brothers!"

Ray got up from the ground and looked down at Robert, "No, we're not."

Getting up from the floor, Robert straightened his shirt and headed towards the door, "Fine, Ray. You're right."

Marie watched him leave, then looked at Ray, "You should be ashamed of yourself."

He shook his head angrily, "No, I shouldn't. I'm never speaking to that bastard again."

Marie started to say something else but bit her tongue and merely went back to her steaming griddle as Ray stalked out of the kitchen.

As the doorbell rang insistently, Debra hurried down the stairs, putting her hair up in a messy ponytail. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and smiled slightly at the sight of Peggy, Linda, and Stefania standing on the doorstep.

"Well, are you going to let us in? It's kind of cold out here," Peggy said.

"Oh, sorry. I was just surprised to see you guys here," Debra replied, moving out of their way as they hurried inside and took off their coats.

"Why wouldn't we be here?" Linda asked.

"I thought you would be mad at me or something," Debra answered, sitting down on the couch.

"What did you do?" Stefania asked with a thick Italian accent.

"She kissed Robert and now Amy's living with her parents and Ray's living with his parents," Linda quickly explained.

Looking down at Debra, Peggy commented, "Damn, you look like shit."

Debra smiled ruefully, "Thanks, Peggy, you always know just the right thing to say."

Laughing, Peggy handed her a package of cookies, "Here, your favorite, chewy Chips Ahoy."

"Oh, so this is an intervention," Debra said, opening the cookies. "Mmm, chocolate."

"You bet," Linda replied, plopping down on the couch beside her. "And I brought some movies. So, do you guys want to watch _The Notebook _or _Titanic_?"

"I thought the whole point of this was to cheer her up," Peggy remarked, taking a seat in the recliner.

"I like watching sad movies when I'm upset. It cleanses the spirit," Linda defended herself.

"_Titanic_," Debra decided, taking a bite out of a cookie.

Stefania sat on the other side of Debra and handed her a container, "Here. I made biscotti."

"Show-off," Peggy muttered.

Debra smiled, "Thanks, Stefania. So, have you ever seen the movie?"

Shaking her head, Stefania frowned, "No."

Linda grinned as she put the movie into the DVD player, "Then we'll have a lot of fun."

After her friends left, Debra trudged up the stairs and wandered into her bedroom. Sighing, she sat down on the bed; a small noise at the door caused her to look up.

"Hey, Ray," she said softly, getting up.

"I'm just here for the rest of my things," he said coldly, reinforcing the distance between them.

"Right," she breathed moving out of his way.

Nodding curtly, Ray walked over to his drawers and pulled out the rest of his clothes, dumping them haphazardly into his waiting suitcase. Small tears streamed down Debra's face as she watched, her heart breaking.

As he finished and started to leave, she said quietly, "For what it's worth, Ray, I really am sorry."

He shook his head, "I wish I could believe that. But apologies are only just words."

After he left the room, Debra collapsed onto the bed, sobbing wildly. Hurrying down the stairs, Ray tried to get away from the sound of her soft cries. He nearly turned back, but he quickly remembered what she had done and his face hardened as he walked out the door.


	7. Ashes Fade to Dust

**Author's Note: **I'm really not all that crazy about this chapter, but I needed to move on. This is probably going to be my last ELR story unless I get the inspiration for a one-shot or something like that. I'm going to assume that everyone will miss me very much. But we all know what happens when we assume things. However, there will be a couple more chapters after this one and the next one will contain some material that will definitely push the T rating. I'll warn you again after I write it if I think it's necessary. Anyway, enjoy!

_It's so hard to comprehend/ When ashes fade to dust/ A touch of water and the iron turns to rust- _**"Forever" by Idina Menzel**

His hands shaking slightly from his nerves, Robert made his way to the park where he saw Amy sitting on a bench as she waited for him.

"Hey," he said tentatively, running a hand through his dark hair.

Smiling softly, she patted the space beside her, so he sat down, still fidgeting.

"Calm down, Robert," Amy said quietly, her gently rounded stomach revealing her pregnancy.

"How can I be calm when my wife who hasn't spoken to me for the past two months tells me to meet her in a park?" he asked, his voice shaky and filled with worry.

She took his hand in hers, gently rubbing it with her fingertips, "I want to come back home, Robert. I'm ready to try to work this all out."

Looking up at her face, his brown eyes shone brightly with unshed tears, "I'm so sorry, Amy, I really am. I promise that I only love you, that I've never loved anyone else."

She cut him off gently, "I know."

As she looked up at his face, he leaned in slowly and pressed a tender kiss to her lips before moving his hand to her stomach.

"I can't believe that I'm going to be a dad," he whispered in wonder, his hand rubbing small circles on her stomach.

"I know what you mean," she replied, grinning as she kissed him again.

Getting up, he took her hand in his, "Let's go home."

Sighing, Ally left the bathroom and moved quietly down the dark hallway as she tried to make as little noise as possible; a slight creak of the floorboards, though, disturbed her mother's light sleep, causing Debra to sit up in her bed and look around wildly.

"Ray?" she called softly, her eyes shining with hope as she peered at the doorway.

"It's just me, Mom," Ally replied, walking into the room.

"Oh," Debra whispered as she sank back into the bedding. "Well, go on back to bed, sweetie."

Ally started to leave the room, but she turned around to look back at her mother, "Mom, do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?"

Sitting back up, Debra slid over in the bed to make room for Ally, "No. Hop in."

"Thanks," Ally said, jumping onto the bed and snuggling under the covers.

As she waited for sleep to come, Ally thought about her mother's swift reaction to her appearance and the hope that had left her eyes after she realized that Ally was not Ray. Sighing, Ally rolled over and pretended not to hear Debra's quiet sobs as she tried to understand the mess her parents were in.

Groaning slightly, Ray shifted on his mother's couch, the plastic rubbing against the cloth of his jeans. He looked up as Ally walked into the room and threw herself unceremoniously onto the piece of furniture.

"When are you and Mom going to get back together?" she asked, her big brown eyes studying him carefully.

"I don't know," he replied irritably, turning his focus back to the television.

Ally sighed slightly and flicked a piece of her golden blonde hair over her shoulder, "She really misses you. Maybe you should talk to her or something."

"I don't really care if she misses me or not. And this is none of your business, so we're not going to discuss it," he spat out angrily, turning up the television's volume.

Narrowing her eyes, Ally stood up, "Not any of my business? How about this? I come home and she's cleaning like a madwoman because she doesn't want to think. I listen to her cry every night and I know you are just as miserable over here. She screwed up. But you're hurting her. And if you really loved her, you would be able to get over yourself and care about how she felt too."

Looking up, Ray replied, "This is none of your business, Ally. But, I'm not miserable."

Ally rolled her eyes, "You sit in front of the TV anytime you're not at work. You're not even eating all that much and you don't get excited about any of the games you watch. You don't even golf anymore. But, whatever. Do what you want."

Furious, she stormed out of the room, leaving Ray by himself. He turned his attention back towards the show he had been watching and when he couldn't focus on it, he threw the remote to the floor in frustration, burying his face in his hands as he tried to figure out what he really wanted.


	8. Reconciliation

**Author's Note**: So, this chapter is kind of short. And it's a little bit more, ahem, sexual than my previous ones. I'm kind of experimenting with different ways of describing sex with as little anatomical detail as possible, so I would appreciate any constructive criticism. Anyway, there will be probably one more chapter after this one that will wrap up this story. Thank you to my faithful readers, I really do appreciate you guys!

"_Listen to my heart/ Can you hear it sing?/ Come back to me and forgive everything_"- **Moulin Rouge**

Opening the door, Ray peered into his house as he tried to figure out who was home.

"Ray?" Debra said softly when he walked inside, dropping the book in her hand.

"Hey," he replied, taking in her look of surprise and the wariness lurking in her eyes.

"Hey. I didn't know you were going to come over, or I would have straightened the place up and gotten out of your way," Debra explained hurriedly before Ray cut her off with a kiss.

Gasping, she leaned into him, her knees going slightly weak at the sudden contact; when her mouth opened slightly, his tongue slid inside, savoring the feel of her mouth. As their kisses grew in urgency, they stumbled back until they found the wall, and Ray quickly pinned Debra to it, his mouth moving to caress her exposed neck while his hands fumbled with her shirt. Debra's head fell back as a moan escaped from her lips; ripping the shirt over her head, Ray began a downward path from her neck to the swell of her breasts. Impatiently, Debra pulled his shirt off of his body, her hands quickly moving to his chest. As they kissed, the world dissolved around them and they tumbled together in heady ecstasy through a haze of pure lust, living and dying at the same time. When they moved to the couch, removing the rest of each other's clothing on the way, they forgot everything except for each other, not remembering the hate, all dissolving in the glorious heat. Crying out, moving together, grasping, pulling, gasping as one, they could not escape the undeniable end of the moment. With one final cry, they came together and fell; for a long while, they stared at each other, both unsure of what to do next.

"What does this mean, Ray?" Debra asked softly.

He sat up, slightly uncomfortable, "I don't know."

"Well, does this mean that you forgive me? Are you coming back home? What?" she persisted, her voice trembling with fear.

"I don't know what I want," he admitted, his heart sinking when he saw her stricken face.

Moving away from him, she clasped her arms around her chest, tears of humiliation starting to run down her cheeks.

"Deb," he tried to take her hand, but she jerked away from him.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I didn't know that you were only interested in using me for sex and then moving on with your life," she snapped.

"It's not like that, Debra," he replied, starting to become slightly defensive.

"Then what is it like?" she retorted, her shoulders shaking with sobs. "I thought you were here because you still loved me and wanted to start over. I guess I was wrong."

Sighing, he pulled her into his arms, his hand stroking her bare skin, "Don't cry, Deb. That's not true. I'm just…confused."

He rocked her gently, pressing soft kisses into her auburn hair until her tears slowly stopped.

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked faintly.

"I'm going to move back home. I forgive you, Debra, I really do. I think we've both been through enough to know that," he answered her, smiling softly.

With a wide smile, she buried her face in his neck. Pulling back slightly after a minute, she pulled him into a deep kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair. Grinning against her lips, Ray pushed her back against the couch, suddenly very grateful that he had remembered to lock the door.


	9. Starting Over

Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter

**Author's Note: **Well, this is the last chapter. I almost just left it the way it was, but I couldn't let it go without reconciling all of the characters. As I have mentioned before, this will be my last ELR story. It's been good, and I would appreciate any reviews from you ghostly readers. Anyway, I do appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy this last installment.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Everybody Loves Raymond, unfortunately.

Laughing Debra pushed Ray away as he bent in for another kiss.

"Stop it, Ray," she said as his mouth missed her lips and landed on her cheek. "We're supposed to be getting food, not making out in our kitchen."

"But you look so hot," he protested, wrapping his arms around her waist and burrowing his head into her neck.

"I'm serious," she replied as he started to kiss her neck. "We'll have time for this later."

With a huff, Ray let her go and grabbed a bowl of chips off the counter, "Fine. I'm holding you to that."

She patted his cheek and pulled a container of fruit from the fridge, "All right. Now, let's go. The rest of the family is waiting."

"Hey, Mom," Ally called from the picnic table in the back yard.

Debra smiled at her children as the twins threw a football to each other and Frank verbally abused them from the sidelines.

"Too much wrist!" Frank yelled at Michael.

Shaking her head, Debra said, "Frank, give them a break. They're twelve, not professionals."

"You have to break the bad habits now, or they'll be horrible when they get old enough to play for a team," Frank insisted, snatching a handful of chips from Ray's bowl.

"Frank, wait until we get all the food out here, and then you can eat," Marie admonished him, setting a large platter of hamburgers and hotdogs on the table.

"Hey, you guys!" Robert shouted as he walked into the yard with his arm around Amy.

"We brought chocolate cake for the dessert," Amy said as she handed the covered plate to Marie.

"Oh, you shouldn't have, Amy," Marie told her. "You see, I already made my special chocolate cake and a strawberry pie. But, I'm sure everyone will want a little piece of your cake, too."

Giving Marie a strained smile, Amy walked over to Debra.

"Always so nice and yet poisonous," Amy muttered to Debra.

With an uncertain smile, Debra asked, "So, how's the baby?"

"It's due in three months. Robert and I decided we don't want to know the sex of the baby until he or she is born. Robert secretly wants a girl," Amy told her as she rubbed her now prominent stomach.

Looking around, Debra asked softly, "Amy, we haven't talked in months. Is this your way of saying everything is okay?" 

Amy shrugged, her smile faltering, "I don't know. I know that things have been so messed up, and I'm totally over everything that happened. I've really missed you, Deb. Do you think we can be friends?"

With a huge smile, Debra gave Amy a hug, "Of course. I've missed you so much. So, do you want a boy or girl?"

"They seem to be getting along again," Robert remarked to Ray.

Ray just shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, "I guess."

Running his fingers through his hair, Robert sighed, "Listen, Ray, we've both said some things to each other because we really mad, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I said and did, and I really want to move on."

"Good, because I do, too. So, we cool?" Ray replied.

Pulling Ray into a hug, Robert said, "You bet, Cubby."

"Hey, let me go," Ray protested, pushing Robert away.

"Aren't you two cute," Debra remarked as she walked over to where they stood.

"No, we're not," Ray replied, pulling her into his arms and giving her a kiss. "But you are."

"You boys having a good time, Yogi?" Amy asked Robert as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah. How about you?" he replied, his hand rubbing her back.

She smiled, "Of course."

"Hey, sappy lovebirds, get over here!" Frank yelled. "It's time to eat!"

Laughing, Ray and Debra joined hands as they walked over to the table, and Amy and Robert followed behind.


End file.
